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PodMov Daily: Wednesday, September 22

Episode 509: Your Midweek Update

There’s No Such Thing as a Podcast Emergency

A few years ago Kathy Tu, currently Head of Production at Wondery, posted this wisdom on Twitter: “There’s no such thing as a podcast emergency.” For Aggi Ashagre, the message was transformative. Now a Senior Managing Producer at Pineapple Street, she breaks down practical, panic-busting truths.

“With any tech issues that might arise, from recording to mixing and mastering, always give yourself some time to scream at the heavens,” Ashagre advises. There’s a healthy way to ‘scream’ about all of it, it turns out: human error, team dynamics, and even systemic issues of working as a Black woman in audio. 

For each problem, Ashagre offers podcasters a lesson and takeaway “not necessarily to give you direct solutions.” There will always be too many variables to account for. “The purpose of this article is to help shift your relationship to production problems so they feel a little less foreign and a lot more manageable.”

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Ashley Carman’s Relaunch of Hot Pod Begins

In Ashley Carman’s first official Hot Pod newsletter, the senior reporter at The Verge lays out the trends of the industry and how she plans to expand her coverage. It was announced this month that she’d take over Hot Pod while its founder, Nick Quah, will pivot to working as a full-time podcast critic at Vulture.

This newsletter regularly features Carman’s outstanding work. You may have also seen her as a PM21 panelist on “Podcast Leadership: The Future from Every Angle.” Here, she links to three stories she’s especially proud of, including the discovery that Anchor’s sponsorship tool had virtually no sponsors except Spotify itself.

Hot Pod will stick to its existing schedule: free newsletters every Tuesday, followed by premium, paid editions on Thursday and Friday. Here and on Twitter, Carman encourages readers to reach out with their observations. “The podcast world is changing,” she says. “Welcome to your front-row seat on the action.”

Listen App, the First Event Platform for Podcasters

While it was inspired by podcasters, social audio wasn’t built for them. Listen App brings the strengths of social audio to podcasting, while keeping community engagement front and center. It’s the first event platform dedicated to podcasters, their listeners, and what keeps them connected.

Instead of measuring downloads or live-room participants, Listen App allows creators to succeed through impact. Listener clubs can be free or paid through subscription-based monetization, an effective model for large and niche shows alike. The type and frequency of events is up to the creator’s imagination.

Podcast listeners want to engage live with their favorite creators, not an algorithm. Listen App has no ads or intrusive data collection — just a beautiful interface for meaningful conversations. On the web, iOS, or Android, it’s easy to meet fans where they are. 

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Here's what else is going on:

• Spin cycle: Tomorrow at 3:00 pm CT, SquadCast.fm will host “How to Avoid Burnout & Keep Creating.” Brian Baltosiewich, the Emmy-nominated founder of Queen City Podcast Network, will outline steps to keep the podcast production process enjoyable and sustainable. Free registration.

• Quarter note: Also tomorrow at 3:00 pm CT, Libsyn’s Elsie Escobar will host “Podcast Planning: Reach Your 2021 Year-End Goals.” The free workshop will cover taking inventory, managing time, creating a realistic task list, and the value of early planning for a strong year ahead. RSVP required.

• Glass castle: This American Life will be accepting applications for its spring production fellowship until October 1. During the paid six-month program, fellows participate in all aspects of production. Benefits include health insurance and an NYC relocation reimbursement (if applicable).

• Monster mash: “Spotify is still expanding its podcast listenership in the US, while Apple Podcasts’ has essentially stagnated,” according to Sara Lebow of eMarketer. New analysis suggests that Spotify will take a “razor-thin lead” in that metric by the end of 2021 and continue to pull ahead.